The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the Federal Government's appeal against a Federal High Court order barring the retrial of former Abia Governor Orji Kalu and his company, Slok Nigeria Ltd, on money laundering charges. The appellate court ruled that the government's appeals were incompetent due to improper compilation and certification of the appeal records, as required by court rules and the Evidence Act.
Justice Joseph Oyewole, delivering the lead judgments, upheld Kalu and Slok's objection, pointing out that the records of appeal were not properly certified, and the trial court official who certified them did not indicate their designation as required by law. He emphasized that compliance with the Evidence Act's mandatory provisions cannot be overlooked.
Federal Government's lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, stated that they would refile new appeals to address the procedural issues highlighted by the Court of Appeal. The appeals stemmed from a September 29, 2021 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, which stopped the Federal Government from further prosecuting Kalu and Slok following the Supreme Court's earlier ruling that voided their initial trial and conviction.
